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Howard County

Atholton Raiders  

2025 Record: 10-9
Key Departures: Brody Pope, Spencer Zook, Joshua Meadows

Atholton fielded one of the younger rosters in Howard County last season and now returns seven of nine starters from that lineup. With another year of development across the roster and a pitching staff that now features a few experienced seniors, the Raiders appear poised for noticeable improvement in 2026.

Offensively, senior Noah Weinig (York) leads the way alongside a pair of talented bats that should anchor the middle of the order — juniors Liam Conroy and Joshua Whiting — forming what could quietly be one of the most underrated outfield groups in the county. The biggest addition to the lineup is junior Jordan Dailey, a transfer from Glen Burnie who earned First Team All-AAC honors last spring. He joins fellow junior Brandon Skaggs to further strengthen the offense. If needed, Atholton also has an intriguing freshman class that could see opportunities, highlighted by Nate Brewer.

On the mound, the staff will likely be led by senior Linus Byrns, one of the county’s top left-handed arms who logged more than 60 innings for the Raiders last spring. He’ll be supported by Weinig, who ranked next on the team in innings pitched last season. To help lighten the workload for those two, Atholton will need to develop additional depth on the pitching staff, but they have already shown they can compete when either of their top arms takes the ball. With a young core gaining experience and continuity, Atholton looks well-positioned to take another step forward this spring.

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Centennial Eagles  

2025 Record: 12-5
Key Departures: Zach Kelly, Will Schmidt

Centennial brings back key contributors on both sides of the ball heading into the 2026 season as they look to build on a strong 12–5 campaign that ended with a regional semifinal loss to Anne Arundel’s Southern. With a talented lineup and an intriguing, high-upside pitching staff, the Eagles appear well-positioned to emerge as another serious contender in Howard County.

The strength of this team begins on the mound. Centennial features one of the top rotations in the county, led by seniors Alex Barrett and Casey Stachera (Emory), junior Calvin Proescher, and sophomore Evan Rayne — widely regarded as the county’s top underclassman arm. That quartet alone gives Centennial the type of pitching foundation capable of pushing them into the state contender conversation. While additional depth will need to develop throughout the season, several of these arms have already proven capable of working deep into games, with Barrett potentially filling a key bullpen role among the group.

Offensively, Centennial returns its two standout hitters from last season — senior Austin Gauthier, who led the team in batting average in 2025, and Carter Bade (St. Thomas), the marquee name in the lineup. Behind them, Stachera, Rayne, Brady Harris, and Brayden Corrao make up much of the core of an offense that should take a step forward in consistency. The Eagles had stretches last year where it was difficult to find momentum or build a sustained winning streak, but if the lineup produces more consistently in 2026, their pitching staff should be able to keep games under control and give them plenty of opportunities to stack wins.

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Glenelg Gladiators  

2025 Record: 14-5
Key Departures: Nick Bilotto, Dane Stamper, Isaiah Stewart, Blake Bourne (transfer to NC)

In his first season as head coach, AJ Rosenthal guided Glenelg to results consistent with the program’s recent success. The Gladiators finished 14–5 and advanced to the regional finals before falling to Southern-AA. From a pitching standpoint, no team in the county lost a bigger arm than Nick Bilotto, and his absence will certainly be felt. However, much of the rotation returns. Mason Melhuish (York) and Mason Shreiner headline the staff, with solid depth behind them in junior Jake Miles and senior left-hander Ben Conlon.

Offensively, many familiar names return, along with a few potential impact additions. Junior leadoff hitter Tyler Blayman is back to set the tone at the top of the order, followed by the core of a lineup that produced strong results last season — seniors Aiden Baker, Austin Nazelrod, and Conlon, juniors Shreiner and Miles, and physical sophomore Bradley Burckhardt. This group has the potential to surpass last year’s expectations, returning several high-average hitters while also adding some power to the mix. As they have done year after year, Glenelg should remain highly competitive and once again be in the conversation for Howard County’s top team in 2026.

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Howard Lions  

2025 Record: 8-10
Key Departures: Dylan Abrahams

Howard enters the 2026 season looking to rebound from an up-and-down year that ended with an 8–10 record and an early regional playoff exit at the hands of Marriotts Ridge. While the Lions do lose their staff ace, Dylan Abrahams, from last season, there are still several pieces in place that should give this team reason for optimism heading into the spring.

Offensively, seniors Austin Proescher and Brennan Giangrosso return for one final run together, joined by fellow seniors Darren Heim and Gavin Nystrom. While several teams in the county feature younger rosters, Howard may have one of the most experienced groups, bringing back eight or nine starters from last year’s lineup while also mixing in some intriguing younger talent to fill the gaps left by the departing senior class. On the mound, some of those younger players may factor into the pitching staff, but senior Nate Hegedus could be expected to handle a large portion of the innings. Giangrosso and sophomore Zachary Blair should also see significant time in the rotation.

With so much experience returning, the Lions are a group that has already been through plenty of high-pressure situations. That veteran presence could allow them to get off to a faster start than some of the younger teams in the county. Still, the biggest question will be just how high this team’s ceiling can climb as the 2026 season unfolds. 

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Long Reach Lightning  

2025 Record: 15-5
Key Departures: Aidan West, Seth Rosenfeld, Noah Murdock, Parker Freer

No team in the state lost a bigger name than Long Reach with the departure of Aidan West, who was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth round of the MLB Draft. From an overall production standpoint, no Howard County roster experienced more turnover than the Lightning. As a result, head coach Coach Lyon will have a significant challenge ahead as he looks to replace the impact and success that last year’s group delivered.

On the mound — which may ultimately become the team’s strength — Long Reach still has pieces in place despite the losses of Rosenfeld and Murdock. The Lightning should field a reliable pitching staff capable of keeping games competitive. Senior Nathan Smith, who logged more than 65 innings last season, returns as the leader of the staff and will once again be counted on to work deep into games and keep scores manageable. He’ll be joined by senior submarine right-hander Jacob McFarland (Neumann) and senior Bobby Yates, forming a group that may not rely on overpowering velocity but consistently throws strikes and competes.

Offensively, Long Reach faces a much steeper climb, returning just four starters — the fewest of any team in the county. The duo of West and Rosenfeld was arguably the most explosive offensive pairing in the state, and replacing that level of production will require contributions throughout the lineup. Yates, Smith, McFarland, and Suhaan Stewart return as the core pieces, though overall depth remains a major question mark. Junior Leo Pollack is a name expected to step into a larger role, but several lineup spots are still up for grabs. As the season unfolds, a clearer picture will emerge of how quickly Long Reach can reload and what their ceiling may be in 2026.

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Marriotts Ridge Mustangs  

2025 Record: 10-11
Key Departures: Jonah Obitz, Wyatt Anderson

I firmly believe Marriotts Ridge enters this spring as one of — if not the most — underrated teams in the state, assuming the roster performs up to its potential. The amount of experience returning to this squad is hard to overlook, and while there are still a few question marks surrounding the pitching staff, this team has the talent to make a serious impact in 2026.

Offensively, there are very few concerns heading into the season, as this group has the potential to be one of the more explosive lineups around. Owen Snow (Delgado CC) headlines the offense and stands out as one of the county’s premier power hitters after breaking out last year with a .396 average and five home runs. Behind him is one of the deepest lineups in the state. Malcolm Parson (Northampton CC), Nicholas Brown (Eastern), and Zach Magee return to anchor the middle of the order, followed by an impressive group of juniors. The DeVito brothers — Anthony and Jason — along with Aiden Hlavaty, Alec Schwendemen, Tay Smith, and Robert Marsili have all taken major strides and now return with another year of development and experience.

Pitching depth will ultimately determine how far this team can go. Sid Thomas (WPI) returns to lead the staff, while several two-way contributors — including Smith, Marsilli, and Snow — should play key roles on the mound. Snow, arguably the county’s top two-way talent, battled injuries last spring and was forced to scale back his workload, but he is expected to be fully healthy heading into the year. The offense had little trouble putting up double-digit runs last season, so the key question will be whether the pitching staff can consistently carry its share of the load.

Mt. Hebron Vikings  

2025 Record: 7-11
Key Departures: Luke Evans, Alex Swan, Ryan Poynot, Ryan Davis

Mount Hebron shocked the state in 2024, putting together one of the most surprising seasons in county history, but they were unable to carry that momentum into 2025 and came back down to earth. Looking ahead to 2026, however, the Vikings still return several key pieces from that 2024 group who are now seniors and will be tasked with leading this roster forward.

On the mound, senior left-hander Colin Friedman (RIT) returns as the staff ace after anchoring the rotation last season. Junior Jaden Muth, who logged the second-most innings for the Vikings in 2025, also returns as a key piece of the staff. Pitching depth will likely be a question mark throughout the year, but the coaching staff may lean on a few of their offensive contributors to take on larger roles on the mound.

Offensively, seniors Friedman and Yash Patel (York) form one of the stronger offensive duos in the conference, though the lineup will need to find additional production behind them after losing a significant amount of talent — including roughly half of last year’s starting lineup. Despite those departures, Mount Hebron should remain competitive and continue to present a tough challenge for opponents throughout the season.

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Reservoir Gators  

2025 Record: 20-2
Key Departures: Matthew Russell, Gavin Metrick, Ben Tzuker, Blake Smoot

Reservoir sat atop Howard County last spring, powered largely by its dominant pitching duo of Towson commits Matthew Russell and Gavin Metrick. With both now at the collegiate level, it’s fair to assume the Gators won’t be able to fully replicate that level of production on the mound. Even so, this remains a highly talented roster with the pieces to stay among the county’s best.

Offensively, junior Tommy Futrell leads the charge after making major strides over the past nine months and emerging as one of the top players in the county’s 2027 class. Behind him, seniors JJ Castonguay, Jason Hunt, and Nicholas Cram return as experienced presences in the lineup, joined by juniors Eamon O’Brien and Vincent Kula. Reservoir brings back nearly two-thirds of the lineup that helped power its run to the state semifinals, making it very realistic that the Gators will once again be one of the top teams in the county.

On the mound, replacing the production Russell and Metrick provided simply isn’t possible, but Reservoir still has arms capable of stepping in and contributing meaningful innings. Kula and Chance Hendershot are expected to headline the staff, with additional support coming from Futrell. The overall depth of this pitching staff remains somewhat of an unknown, largely because Russell and Metrick carried such a heavy workload last season and frequently worked deep into games. That will be something to watch this spring. Regardless, with so much offensive experience returning, another run to the state tournament is well within reach.

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River Hill Hawks  

2025 Record: 17-4
Key Departures: Anderson Dang, Jonathan Bloom, CJ Grove

After the departure of Henry Zatkowski, there was uncertainty surrounding River Hill’s outlook heading into the 2025 season. Despite lacking a clear headlining star, Coach Estrin guided the team to an impressive 17–4 record before their season ended in the regional finals against eventual state champion Sherwood. With the majority of that roster returning, there’s little reason to believe River Hill won’t continue its strong winning culture in Clarksville.

Offensively, the lineup features several familiar names, highlighted by senior Ryan Walsh (Tampa), who enters the season as a strong candidate for the top hitter in the county. Jonathan Norwood (Moravian) consistently impressed our staff during multiple viewings last year and returns as a key presence in the middle of the order. The bottom half of the lineup also returns with valuable experience, including senior Avi Fields, junior Ethan McCoy, and sophomores Hansen Zhang and Collin Reis. A newcomer to keep an eye on is freshman Richie Ronayne, who could earn occasional at-bats if called upon. The biggest question for this offense will be how it performs against the county’s top-tier teams, where some inconsistency showed last season, though there’s reason to expect improvement in that area.

On the mound, several of those same offensive contributors will play important roles. Walsh is expected to anchor the pitching staff, with Zhang and Reis both coming off an outstanding freshman campaign that established them as two of the county’s top young arms. Jesse Jenkins (Eastern) will be another arm to keep eyes on within this pitching staff. Norwood and Ronayne could also take on meaningful innings as the team looks to build depth on the staff. With the move down to Class 2A, the road ahead becomes slightly clearer with Sherwood no longer standing in the way, though River Hill will now battle alongside Howard County’s top programs, keeping the challenge intense.

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Additional Players to Watch 

'26 Yaxiel Rivera (Lincoln) - Hammond
'26 Jax Willis (Carlow) - Hammond
'26 Brayden Streets (AACC) - Guilford Park
'26 Logan Linzey (CCBC Essex) - Guilford Park